National contest provides opportunity to show at Cannes Festival
Lights, camera, action — Campus MovieFest is back at USC. And aspiring Steven Spielbergs, music gurus and advocates for social justice alike are invited to take their talents all the way to the Hollywood red carpet.
The worldwide symposium and competition, which is now in its second year at USC, lends students all the tools they need to make a short film and pools the best for an ultimate chance to be showcased at the Cannes Film Festival.
USC's Campus MovieFest competition launches Feb. 7 in the Russell House lobby from noon until 5 p.m. And that's when the 10 days of campuswide cinematic creation begin.
Students will get — not for keeps, just for the week — their choice of a Macbook Pro or iPad 2, loaded with Final Cut and iMovie, Panasonic HD cameras and thousands of license-free songs.
And even the most inexperienced of filmmakers can take their turn behind the lens. MovieFest reps will also offer 24-hour tech support and seminars on producing, directing, screenwriting and editing during the weeklong process.
"Learning how to shoot and edit video are skills that can branch into all areas of professional or educational endeavors — plus it's fun!" said Nishant Gogna, Campus MovieFest's promotions manager. "For those serious filmmakers, Campus MovieFest offers opportunities and exposure for their work that they may not have access to alone."
Music videos, comedies, dramas — everything's fair game. Students will have seven days to craft their video of choice, with just one requirement: Submissions must be five minutes or less.
A panel of USC faculty, staff and students will judge the films and pick 16 to screen at USC's Campus MovieFest finale, which will be held Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell House Ballroom. There will be awards for Best Picture, Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Music Video with a separate social justices category — in which students will have the opportunity to win a national $10,000 cash grant.
The four overall USC winners will go to Campus MovieFest Hollywood, where they'll compete against the top picks from the 75 other participating universities.
"We take Campus MovieFest movies to the Cannes Film Festival every year, screen them in-flight on Virgin America and connect filmmakers with industry leaders for additional professional, often paid, opportunities," Gogna said. "We invite our top filmmakers to join our Distinguished Filmmakers Network where they'll have exclusive opportunities to create videos and movies for top brands such as Pearson, T-Mobile and Panasonic."
Campus MovieFest, now in its 10th year, was founded by four Emory University students and has since included 500,000 students from the U.S. to Mexico to the United Kingdom.
"Our goal has always been to provide a unique and fun opportunity for students across the globe to share their stories with the world," Gogna said.
The competition begins Feb. 7 and all entries will be due Feb. 13. Campus MovieFest representatives will be on the second floor of the Russell House until 5 p.m. today.
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